Royal Mail fat cats might get a strike for Christmas after posties furious with the service's privatisation voted four to one yesterday for action.

More than 100,000 postal workers will strike on November 4 over the scramble to sell off the company for a quick buck - with the possibility of a prolonged industrial campaign over the winter if a deal is not reached.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) balloted 115,000 members for industrial action over concerns on job security, pay, pensions and working conditions - all linked to the sell off.

Sixty-three per cent of the workers turned out to vote, with a huge 78 per cent voting Yes.

The union has given Royal Mail two weeks to reach an agreement with workers before the walkout.

Cynical Tories had tried to buy off Royal Mail employees by distributing free shares, with desperate Royal Mail bosses even offering £300 cash to workers who do not strike, but the ploy appears to have failed miserably.

CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward said: "Postal workers have spoken very clearly that they care about their jobs, terms and conditions far more than they care about shares.

"The stakes have become much higher for postal workers since privatisation making this ballot more important than ever. Postal workers will not be the people who pay for the profits of private operators and faceless shareholders."

The CWU has been scathing on Tories who it says were "deliberately creating a scramble" for shares which were massively undervalued when put up for sale, leading to many private investors cashing in their allocation at a big profit.

Workers fear that profiteers will strip Royal Mail of its sizeable property assets, impose cost-cutting measures and make profit-driven redundancies and cuts to wages.

At the same time as announcing the strike the CWU said they will carry out a second ballot asking its members to carry out a boycott of competitors' mail.

Mr Ward added: "On top of a strike, the union will seek a mandate from members to carry out the boycott of competitors' mail. In law, this needs a separate ballot and we will commence the procedures for this at the earliest opportunity.

"The boycott will be used to supplement strike action. Royal Mail needs to reach an agreement with us now and avoid the consequences of these two types of action from postal workers."

Anti-austerity movement the People's Assembly welcomed the November 4 - the day before its Bonfire of Austerity national day of action.

A spokesman for the People's Assembly said the CWU ballot result represented "a huge rejection of the Tory-led governments get-even-richer-quicker scheme that will destroy the postal service."

"Strike action on November 4 will start two days of protest.

"On November 5 activists from 75 people's assemblies around the country will be taking part in a day of direct action and civil disobedience."